Chapter 284 Goddess Aurelia ㉔
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Man, talk about busy.
Now, even though we were making a triumphal return, the majority of the soldiers had already transitioned to pursuit operations. That meant the ones actually heading back were just the rear-guard reserves who had stayed behind in camp. Among those reserves were Kuroa and Mitsuba, the tactical hubs for their respective races, and Leki, who was there to protect them. Since I could issue orders from a distance, they didn’t need to stay behind, so I headed back to camp to bring them along for our grand entry. But when I arrived, I found almost no signs of life.
The camp was a wreck. Part of the pavilion had collapsed, and several tents were leveled. Had we been ambushed? Even if we had, the complete lack of biological signatures was bizarre. It was glaringly obvious that something had happened. As I stepped into the center of the camp, I found a forest of stone statues. They were the Black Ant Knights¹, and some of them were already chipped or broken.
”Petrification…? No way. Who did this?” I muttered.
The culprit was plain to see. A lizard stretching well over ten meters long was sprawled across the ground. A King Basilisk. It was a mutation of the Basilisk, a sub-dragon species. The Basilisks of this world don’t normally have petrification abilities; they usually just use paralysis attacks.
But the King Basilisk was different. It breathed a petrifying mist that turned targets to stone in a matter of seconds. Even a partial hit would turn that limb to rock. Since an entire party – let alone a solo fighter – could be wiped out in an instant, they were more dangerous than your average magical beast or even a dragon.
However, this King Basilisk was already dead. Its skull had been split wide open by a familiar Grand Basher. Its owner, Leki, was standing right there, frozen in stone in a throwing follow-through.
”Leki!” I shouted.
I rushed to her side, relieved to see she wasn’t missing any pieces. I pulled an Elixir from my Item Box and poured it over her. Cracks spiderwebbed across her surface, and the stone crumbled away like shedding skin, leaving her smooth and restored. (Actually, being petrified doesn’t mean you’re dead; you’re just in a state of suspended animation.
An Elixir or high-level sorcery like Cure Stone will bring you right back. But if you’re broken while in stone form, you have to gather all the pieces and fit them back together perfectly, otherwise, you’re dead. Missing a hand or foot is one thing, but trying to fix a shattered head or torso turns into a total splatter-movie gorefest.)
(As a side note: The Cockatrice, usually the other big name in petrification, is just a three-foot-tall chicken in this world with zero special powers. Their meat and eggs are top-tier, though. There are actually Cockatrice farms that distribute them as luxury ingredients. They’re omnivores, too. I once saw a wild one pecking at a dead Goblin – a pretty surreal sight, but I digress.)
”…Papa?” Leki whispered.
”Leki, what happened here?” I asked.
”Etto, well, this person in white armor suddenly showed up and summoned a Basilisk…” she replied.
Summoned a Basilisk? It looked like one, size aside, but maybe she was mistaken. But wait. White armor?
”And when I beat the Basilisk, a magic circle appeared under it. It was wrapped in light… and then it got huge!” Leki said.
”Are you serious!?” I exulted.
”Yeah. I stepped up to protect Kuroa-chan and Mitsuba-chan, but I got caught in the breath… I remember throwing my axe, but after that…”
That must have been when she fully petrified. That thrown Great Axe had cleaved the King Basilisk’s head like a homing tomahawk, ending it. Kuroa and Mitsuba had been turned to stone, too. With a wide-range breath attack, it couldn’t be helped. I healed them both. Fortunately, the Messenger was safe inside a tent that hadn’t collapsed. Talk about luck.
”Whoa, what the hell happened here?” Honoka asked.
”Uwa, what a mess… And what is that!? This huge lizard!?” Medinilla asked.
It looked like Honoka and Medinilla were finally back. However…
”You’re late,” I said.
”Ah, yeah. We got tangled up with someone weird,” Honoka replied.
”Me too noja. What was that guy’s deal noja?” Medinilla asked.
Someone weird? Could it be…
”Was it someone in white armor?” I asked.
”Yeah, exactly! Wait, did they show up for you too, Master?” Honoka replied.
According to Honoka, her white-armored opponent used wind sorcery just like her. Luckily, Honoka’s mana and output were higher, so she neutralized it easily.
”But seriously, he didn’t have to spread his wings exactly like mine. What a copycat!” Honoka grumbled.
Meanwhile, Medinilla’s opponent was a dual-wielder with daggers. He was fast – extremely fast.
”Punching him didn’t seem to do a thing noja. So I just froze him solid and smashed him to dust noja,” Medinilla said. Honoka said hers vanished into thin air after a while, but it seemed Medinilla actually took hers down. At least we knew mediocre attacks wouldn’t cut it against those guys.
”But if that’s the case… they might have appeared elsewhere, too,” I said.
”You mean where Mihiro and Yukiko are? …Wait. Maybe even where Lil is,” I realized.
The possibility was high. In fact, it would be weirder if they didn’t go after her.
”Papa!” Leki cried.
”Yeah. Sorry, but Leki and I are heading back now. Honoka, stay here and heal the wounded. Medinilla, take command for me. Not that there’s much left to do besides head home,” I ordered.
”Un!” Honoka said.
”Leave it to me,” Medinilla replied.
With their nods, I grabbed Leki and teleported straight to the front of the mansion.
* * *
Two people were lying in front of the gate. They were the former Hero Church Priestesses who act as our Gatekeepers. Luckily, they were just unconscious, not dead. No visible wounds, either. They’d likely been knocked out in a single strike. They’re fairly skilled, and despite their eccentric taste in gear, their armor has high defense. Our enemy was top-tier. Whether they spared them on purpose or just didn’t think they were worth killing, I couldn’t say.
”Anyway, let’s get inside,” I said.
”Un, Papa. But… this feels a lot like that time, doesn’t it?” Leki asked.
”That time” referred to when Sugita and his goons raided the mansion while we were away and stole our companions. Honestly, I didn’t want to believe it. But if that were the case, the Gatekeepers would be violated and covered in white filth² right now. The fact that they aren’t means that isn’t the goal. Still, there was no point in guessing. I had to see for myself.
The grounds didn’t look ransacked; there were no signs of a struggle. The interior was the same as always. But it was quiet. No. I heard a sound. A voice. A baby crying.
”That’s Van and Mana!” Leki shouted.
”Leki, let’s go,” I said.
Leki nodded, and we both readied our weapons. I never thought I’d be drawing a blade in my own home. We sprinted toward Lil’s bedroom. In front of the door, two people were collapsed. The man was slumped against the wall, the woman face-down on the carpet. It was Alpha the Butler and Lotte the Head Maid. Lotte seemed unhurt, but Alpha had been hit with a brutal diagonal slash³. He was hanging on by a thread.
”Master… I am… so sorry… My Lady… has been… taken…” Alpha gasped.
—
Summary:
Upon returning to camp, the protagonist finds his troops petrified by a mutated King Basilisk, which Leki defeated before turning to stone. After reviving his allies, he learns that mysterious figures in white armor have ambushed multiple locations simultaneously. Suspecting a direct attack on his home, he teleports back to find his gatekeepers unconscious and his butler Alpha dying, with his wife Lil abducted.
—
Trivia:
- King Basilisks in this world are mutations; standard Basilisks only paralyze.
- Petrification is a state of suspended animation, not death, unless the statue is shattered.
- Cockatrices are non-magical chickens used for food in this setting.
- The white-armored enemies seem to mimic the abilities of their targets.
- The protagonist has an ‘Item Box’ and access to high-tier ‘Elixirs’.
- Alpha was hit with a ‘Kesagiri’ (diagonal slash), a highly lethal samurai-style strike
—
Character Insight:
The protagonist shows a mix of tactical analysis and deep emotional distress, specifically triggered by the potential repeat of a past trauma involving the violation of his household. Leki demonstrates her immense growth and loyalty by taking down a high-level threat before being incapacitated.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The author notes at the end suggest the story is nearing its conclusion and that explicit ‘extra’ scenes are being prepared, focusing on specific character pairings like Mihiro and Nakim.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Mitsuba – 142 cm honey‑bee Mushi‑jin with honey‑blonde curly shoulder‑length hair, deep‑blue compound eyes, two antennae, four translucent wings, yellow‑black striped abdomen, tanuki face and drooping eyes; busty, child‑bearing leader of Greedia’s aerial unit in yellow‑black armor, clingy Kin of the King. Former Killer Army ant turned human, affectionate and seeking sexual rewards from Natsumi. Also a Greedia‑affiliated curly‑haired girl who oversees flesh‑doll creation, explains imprinting, serves as a seductive subordinate of Natsumi, and acts as the race’s command tower and ally of the protagonist.
• Kuroa – Anthropomorphic queen ant, now human, wears sleek black organic armor hugging her petite, feminine form. She dons an ant‑head helmet crown, glossy black hair, green compound eyes with two ocelli on her forehead, and a segmented ant‑like abdomen tail. Stoic and chivalrous, she sees herself as a knightly beauty, hides dignity under slime, and commands men via pheromones. As the race’s command tower and mother to winged soldiers/Kin, she broods them devotedly, eyes glow red when agitated, devoted to Natsumi and ally of the protagonist.
• Leki – Lil’s eldest daughter, 140 cm tall with 70‑54‑69 measurements, dog/wolf ears and a husky‑puppy look, once a stuffed toy now human. She wields a great axe as a big‑sisterly combatant, smooth‑skinned, can split a King Basilisk’s skull, keen‑eyed, calls the protagonist ‘Papa’, is his subordinate/family and discovered the floating temple.
• Honoka – Petite, short-statured maid with shimmering angelic skin, hidden wings, and large breasts, her lewd eyes starkly contrast her pristine uniform; once a cold class rep who mocked Sasaki Natsumi, she was revived as his obsessive, masochistic Goshujin-sama, bound by his scent and a desperate wish to bear his child. She survived being frozen alive alongside him, earning absolute loyalty and high pain tolerance. Now an energetic, pouting Apostle of Lust wielding the Caduceus staff as healer, she trembles with devotion, fiercely protective yet feeling left out of the group’s rewards—her wind sorcery and wings aid in healing petrified allies, even as former classmates confront her, her holy-lust shrine persona trembling between sacred duty and carnal obsession.
• Medinilla – Petite loli‑like demon king with pale blue skin, long silver hair, goat‑horns and golden black‑rimmed eyes, wearing a twilight dress strewn with red roses. Flat‑chested, she calls herself Sieben’s wife out of servitude and competitively serves child‑like Natsumi. Former leader of the Six Demon Generals, high‑ranking Mazoku with regal, ancient authority. Ally who wields ice sorcery and punches, punctuating speech with a boisterous laugh and a “noja” tic.
• Luck – Shin’s partner and a wind magic user. Hunter from Rubia. Deceased.
• Mihiro – 160 cm tall, B-W-H 82-55-80, short black hair; a handsome futanari known as the Apostle of Gluttony. She instantly absorbs skills, wields swift water-based sorcery and sword strikes, leads a loyal circle of disciples who admire her power. An associate of the protagonist, they/them, haunted by the salvation void left by forbidden art.
• Yukiko – A True Ancestor Vampire (Blood Sucking Demon). Silver hair, crimson eyes, porcelain white skin. Wears black Gothic Lolita fashion and a parasol during the day. Can fly using her shadow as a cloak.
• Yuki – Yuki Chihiro. Height 178 cm, weight 70 kg (Male). Natsumi’s childhood friend. A handsome, athletic top student in the soccer club.
• Lil – 166 cm tall, hourglass 90‑56‑90; long indigo waist‑length hair, sharp golden eyes, wolf ears, dog‑like tail, scarred abdomen, silver hair in human form. Fenrir‑kin queen, mother of Leki, Van and newborn Mana, wife of the protagonist, called “number one” by Mitsuba. Abducted to Sky Temple Suria for a baptism.
• Sugita – Leader of the Sugita gang and Natsumi Sasaki’s primary bully, born into police privilege—grandfather Superintendent General, father a Superintendent—ensuring his crimes vanish. Lean, sharp-featured, with a cold, arrogant stare that screams “I can get away with it.” Wields Steal (窃盗) to manipulate minds and control women; once impersonated hero Sieben with mask and greatsword, only to be stripped of status and dropped to Level 7. Cursed as a “Hero” doomed to endless death and resurrection, he became a Lesser Vampire, was executed, and erased from existence—yet his legacy lingers in whispers: mocked by girls for having a smaller member than the messenger, and remembered for sexually assaulting Reese and Yukiko, cementing his status as irredeemable evil.
• Van – A baby (infant) belonging to the household. the protag and Lil’s infant son. Taken hostage by the Goddess’s Knights.
• Alpha – Handsome young butler with reddish‑brown skin, black hair and a single forehead horn, slender build; a twin child of Orcus and Keiko, he is a War‑Ogre (Rakshasa) who matures in months. Loyal to Sieben, he manages logistics, reports evacuations, and was found terminally wounded protecting the children.
• Lotte – The Head Maid of the mansion, late‑20s, tall and slender with a sharp, elegant face and a 50‑plus‑level assassin’s body laced in toxins, serves as a calm noble‑house attendant by day. By night she is a midwife who delivered Hidaka’s twins and identified their genders, still carrying the poison Sugita stole—quietly protective and dangerously lethal beneath her apron.
• Nakim – A thirteen-year-old boy with soft, androgynous features; the creator of the Dispel spell.
• Kishi – Height 165 cm, weight 84 kg. An unattractive guy with a face full of acne. A chuunibyou who calls himself a holy knight. After being kicked out of Plaudix, he went to Greedia where Natsumi humiliated him.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply